One of the reasons that Amtrak is slow is because they do not own the rails; they are owned by private freight lines, such as Norfolk Southern or CSX. Prior to Amtrak, when both passenger and freight service were provided by the same railroad, the passenger trains had priority over freight. Now, however, Amtrak’s passenger trains have to give right-of-way to the freight trains run by the railroads that own the tracks.
“”” - One of the reasons that Amtrak is slow is because they do not own the rails; they are owned by private freight lines, such as Norfolk Southern or CSX. Prior to Amtrak, when both passenger and freight service were provided by the same railroad, the passenger trains had priority over freight. Now, however, Amtrak’s passenger trains have to give right-of-way to the freight trains run by the railroads that own the tracks. - “””
They prioritize all the trains pretty much. On the N&S tracks near me, they will clear a path for the daily (or more) UPS train. It is a high priority that, I’m sure, UPS pays for, but other trains get onto the second track where available to let that one through.
I’m sure that in some instances, Amtrak has priority over certain freight trains, but I bet UPS has priority over Amtrak in most cases. So, maybe it is better to ship yourself to your destination. :)